A Turn of Events
by Elizabeth Bathory
Summary: One event in someone's life can determine their entire fate. Change the event and you alter the course of an entire life.
1. December 1991

December 1991

It was a cold clear night on the south shore of Long Island. The absence of any significant snow kept the temperature around a tolerable 25 degrees rather than what it could have been. To many in the quiet communities of the Hamptons, this was just another quiet evening in which people were going about their holiday preparations.

Until the sound of ambulances screaming ripped through the silence of the night…

The eleven o'clock news broke the story first of a nightmare of a car wreck on the Southern State. From what was told by state troopers on the scene, an SUV came off an exit ramp at too high of a speed which caused it to plow into a Mercedes and spin it across three lanes of traffic moving at an average speed of 70 mph. The Mercedes was struck once again by oncoming traffic perpendicularly before it was spun into the guard rail facing the opposite direction. The SUV lost control and crashed into a tree off the side of the road while the car that struck the Mercedes the second time was hit itself from behind and shoved into the meridian. Both the drivers of the SUV and the second car died at the scene while the three passengers of the Mercedes had managed to survive and were being raced to Stony Brook hospital, the closest with a trauma unit needed for advanced care.

As the passengers seemed to go in and out of consciousness, the EMTs worked on stabilizing the painfully serious and potentially grave injuries of those who managed to survive the initial impact albeit barely. While checking vitals, the drivers were calling into the emergency room to prepare them for what to expect...first, male approximately 65-70 years old, unconscious, bleeding heavily from both head and chest wounds, several potential broken bones. The second was female approximately 45-50 years old, unconscious, heavy bruising to the body and head, possible internal bleeding. The third was male approximately 18 years old, conscious, potential broken wrist, dislocated shoulder and possible concussion.

The ambulances screeched to a halt at the emergency room entrance and three different trauma teams gathered the three different patients and whisked the two with the most life threatening injuries off to operating rooms to try to save them while the boy was taken to a corner of the ER to be examined and interviewed to ascertain the true severity of what happened.

The chaos of the ER was making the boy dizzy, upset and angry. Doctors were quickly taking vitals and giving him a cursory physical examination to check for obvious signs of a concussion while his wrist, shoulder and rib cage were being x-rayed all while one nurse was trying to get his information and another was cleaning out the bleeding wound on his forehead

"Name?"

"Anthony Stark," he said somewhat distractedly, hissing through the antiseptic being placed on the cut on his forehead. "Where are my parents?" he asked as his head began to spin a bit again as a bright pen light was shined in his eyes.

"Calm down," The nurse responded as she ignored his question for the moment. "Date of birth?"

"April 4, 1974," he responded before asking again where his parents were.

The nurse continued to deflect his questions. "Father's name and date of birth?"

"Howard Anthony Stark, born December 3, 1924," Tony cried out. "Tell me where he is. What happened to my father?" he asked once more, getting more anxious about not knowing about what was going on.

"I can't tell you," the nurse deflected tony as she still refused to answer. "Mother's name and date of birth?"

Tony was beyond annoyed, upset, scared and angry at being ignored because he was only seventeen. He had two Master's Degrees from MIT and this twit of a nurse wouldn't give him the time of day because of his age and as far as he knew his parents could very well be dead and no one was telling him . "My mother is Maria Collins Carbonell Stark, born June 23, 1944 and I want to know what is going on with both of them now!" he demanded as he tried to get off the table. "Are they even in this hospital? Are they alive? Tell me or I will find someone who will tell me."

The nurse was not having any lip from a seventeen year old boy and called over two orderlies to hold him down on the table while the medical staff cast up his wrist and gave him a sling for his shoulder. "I can not tell you what is going on with them because you are not of age. Now sit there and be quiet until we find someone to take care of you," the uptight nurse demanded as the orderlies forced Tony to sit on the hospital bed.

That one move just downright exasperated the seventeen year old and what little control he had on his emotions was failing. He gritted his teeth and forced himself to stand, ignoring the searing pain ripping through his arm and chest and the tears welling up in his eyes. "No, you listen to me," he ground out trying to hide the fact that his voice cracked with the tears he was trying and failing to fight off. "Yes, I'm only seventeen but I am the only family they have. I don't want to find out my parents died in tomorrow's newspaper. Now, you are going to tell me what is going with my parents or find someone who will or I get on the phone to my father's lawyers and you deal with them. Which is it going to be?"

The nurse was dumbfounded by being told off by a teenager and before she could respond to him, the doctor that was in charge of the ER had come over to intervene after overhearing Tony roar back at her in anger.

"Mr. Stark, my name is Dr. Henry and I am the head of the ER department. I understand you are deeply upset about what happened tonight and if you're willing to come with me, I am sure we can find out what is going on with your parents," the doctor said calmly.

Tony eyed the doctor over and from an initial guess, he figured the doctor was actually going to talk straight to him and not give him any more bureaucratic bullshit. "Alright," Tony acquiesced as he harshly wiped at his eyes with his sleeve. "Where can we talk?"

Dr. Henry signaled for an orderly to bring a wheelchair over for Tony. "We'll talk in my office. Mike here will bring you over there. I'll write out the order for any pain meds you may need for your shoulder and we'll find out what happened with your parents."

Tony nodded and slowly sat down in the wheelchair as the anger started to abate within him but fear was replacing it in spades. Were they not telling him anything because his parents were already dead? His stomach started to turn at that thought. What would he do if that had happened?

The orderly parked Tony right in front of Dr. Henry's desk while the doctor calmly sat down behind it.

"Now, while I am waiting for the system to bring up the file, could you please tell me what happened tonight to bring you here," Dr. Henry asked Tony to try to put him at ease as he got him a drink and something to take the edge off the pain.

Tony sipped at the water put in front of him before looking up at the doctor who was actually giving him a look of genuine concern. "My parents and I were driving back from the city. Stark Industries has a holiday party every year about a week or so before Christmas. While we were on the Southern State, an SUV came flying down the exit ramp at like 70 mph and crashed into us. He spun us across the road and we got hit again by another car coming down the road. I think my Dad tried to hit the brakes and nothing seemed to happen. After that, things get a little fuzzy. I remember being thrown in the backseat, hitting the guard rail and parts of the ambulance ride but not much else."

"Thank you Anthony," the doctor said calmly. "Is it alright I call you that?"

"Yeah sure, whatever," Tony brushed him off. "My parents?"

The doctor looked over at his computer. "According to the latest update that I have here, both of your parents were taken into surgery immediately upon arrival here for assessment and stabilization. Your father suffered several broken ribs, a collapsed lung, a concussion and potential neck or back injury but they could not assess it yet due to him still being unresponsive. Your mother was severely bruised and exhibiting some internal bleeding. The bleeding his been stopped and she has been moved to ICU. Both are being listed as very serious condition."

Tony swallowed hard as he listened to what was being described to him and a few tears slipped from his eyes that he just couldn't hold back. "What's going to happen now?" he asked cautiously. He was scared and it was getting hard to hide it.

"They are in serious condition but I don't want to give a prognosis until they are examined once they regain consciousness. They will be spending a great deal of time in the ICU and it will be a long road to recovery. Things may be difficult in your father's case due to his age and potential stress on his heart that I have seen in his medical records. Do you have anyone at home that can take care of you and come get you when you're discharged?"

Tony nodded slowly as he processed everything that was said. "My housekeeper and butler are there," he said quietly. "Can I see them now?"

It was well after visiting hours had ended but the doctor took one look in Tony's eyes and knew that saying 'no' was not going to be an acceptable answer. The boy had already been through Hell tonight and didn't need any more. "It's not listed that they are out of surgery yet. When they are in recovery, they will be in rooms 15 and 16 in the ICU," the doctor explained.

"Why can't they be put in the same room? They're husband and wife. I shouldn't have to leave one parent to see the other." Tony inquired.

"I can't change this one for you. You're lucky that they're next door to each other," the doctor responded sympathetically. "Mike will take you up when you're ready."

"Thanks Doc. I mean that." Tony said as he offered his hand not in a cast to shake the doctor's hand.

It was past four in the morning when Tony was taken via wheelchair to the elevators which led to the fourth floor where the ICU was located. He wasn't able to protest the wheelchair in the ER but he sure as hell could in ICU. There was no way in hell he would see his parents being babysat like this.

When the elevator doors opened, the look that Tony shot the orderly told him not to argue with the boy. The orderly stepped back and let Tony walk off the elevators onto the darkened floor. The lights were dimmed for the most part save for the nurses' station. The only sounds heard were those of various machines keeping people alive. Tony walked right by the nurses without one of them even trying to stop him. He had hoped that the ER doctor had told them he was coming.

Tony walked slowly down the hallway, his footsteps, beeps and whirs breaking the silence. He came to rooms 15 and 16 but found it very hard to walk into either room. Tony looked in both dimly lit rooms, seeing both his father and mother lying in beds, covered with various bandages, bruises and dried blood. There were oxygen tubes in their noses, IVs hooked up on their arms and wires running to various machines displaying pulse rate, blood oxygen levels, blood pressure and various other vitals. He touched the sling on his arm that held his dislocated shoulder and broken wrist and tears fell from his eyes unheeded as he wondered how he got spared from the same fate. Unable to cross the threshold for either room, Tony quietly made his way to a small waiting room at the end of the hall, where he curled up in one of the oversized chairs and fell into a restless sleep.

In the early dawn hours, the nurses of the ICU changed shifts. The in-charge nurse was doing a walkthrough of the floor to begin her shift when she found Tony sleeping on one of the chairs in the waiting room. Careful not to disturb him at first, she noticed that he still had the hospital ID bracelet on his wrist. She noted the number and called down to the ER to find out that he had been discharged some time ago but both of his parents were in serious condition in the ICU.

The nurse returned to Tony and placed her hand on his knee to gently shake him awake. "How long have you been here, hun?" she asked him.

Tony jolted awake when he felt someone touch his leg. Disoriented and with searing pain ripping through his arm, he blinked a few times and looked up at the woman who was talking to him. "A few hours…I think," he rasped out as he tried to straighten up in the chair. "What time is it?"

"It's just after six," the nurse informed him as she helped the boy who was in obvious pain to sit up. "Is there someone I can call for you? Someone has to be worried about you."

Tony silently cursed to himself when he heard what time it was. "By now, my housekeeper and butler have probably flipped out with worry. We were supposed to be home by one at the latest."

The nurse offered her arm to help Tony out of the chair. "How about this…you come with me, we'll get you something to eat and we'll call your house and let them know where you are. Does this sound like a good plan?"

Tony nodded as he accepted the nurse's help to get out of the chair and followed her down to the lounge where she arranged some breakfast to be brought up to him while she made the necessary calls.

Barely an hour later, Tony was slowly making his way through a bagel, juice and a bowl of cereal when his butler, Edwin Jarvis, and housekeeper, Teresa Rinaldi, frantically exited the elevator. Apparently, visiting hours didn't apply to them either.

Ignoring the bloodstains on Tony's shirt and trying not to aggravate the injuries that he had suffered, Teresa ran up to him and hugged him tight to her. "We were worried sick. Why didn't you call sooner?" she gasped out as she held him. "Are you alright?"

"I wasn't able to," Tony said with a slight sniff. Just thinking about what happened was enough to upset him all over again. "What's your definition of 'alright,' Teresa?" he asked as he looked up at her with bloodshot eyes.

Edwin could see the war that his young master was battling with and gave Teresa a look to drop the line of questions for now. "Let's get you home so you can get cleaned up and get some rest, Master Anthony."

"I'm not leaving them," Tony stated firmly. "Not until I know what is going on."

"Tony," Teresa tried to plead with him. "They would not want you sitting around here when you could be at home healing yourself."

Stubbornness ran thick when it came to Tony or Howard and neither one backed down when they had a point. "They wouldn't leave me and I won't leave them," Tony restated, staying firm with his position. "Not until I find out that they will be okay."

There was no fighting with him when he got like this. When a Stark puts his mind to something, there is no changing it. "Then we are staying with you, Master Anthony," Edwin conceded.

Over the next few hours, Tony did manage to go into each of his parents' rooms and sit by their side for a few moments with Teresa and Edwin to back him up. He didn't know what to do in this situation. Did he talk to them? Sit quietly? Was he allowed to touch them? In the end, Tony never said out loud what his heart wanted to but he hoped that it got through some how.

After visiting both his mother and father, Tony couldn't choose to sit in one room or the other just watching the monitors. The constant flash of various numbers was driving him nuts. He quietly went back to the waiting room for some sort of news. There he had at least a vaguely comfortable chair and TV to watch.

The hours seemed to go by agonizingly slow for Tony who was doing his level best not to be bugging people every second for some update. The monotony was only broken up near three in the afternoon when Obadiah Stane, his father's business partner and CFO of Stark Industries, stepped off the elevator.

Dressed impeccably since he had come directly from Stark Industries, he almost made Tony feel uneasy since his shirt was ripped and had bloodstains on it.

"Tony, my boy," Obadiah stated with concern in his voice as he looked Tony over and then pulled Tony into a loose hug. "How is everything? How are you? What's the update on your parents?"

Tony winced at the hug from his injuries but didn't say anything from it. "No change from last night. They're still in very serious condition because they haven't woken up yet."

For the briefest of moments, there was a look of disappointment in Obadiah's expression but it was quickly washed away and replaced with concern and an attitude of getting things done. "Tony, don't you worry about anything. I will make absolute certain that they get the best care possible here. I will meet with all the staff myself if necessary," he stated as he wrapped an arm around Tony's uninjured shoulder. "Now, you should get home and rest yourself, my boy. You look like you need it."

Tony shook his head in refusal. "I should be here for them…in case there's a change."

"Tony, you need to recover as well and sitting around a waiting room won't do that," Obadiah insisted as he waved over Edwin and Teresa to collect Tony. "I will stay here with them and I will have them call you the second there's any change in their condition. I will also clear it so you can come to visit at any time that you wish. You have my word."

"Tony, Mr. Stane has a point," Teresa agreed as she came up. "Let's get you home, get some real food in you and we'll bring you back whenever you wish."

Tony looked between the three adults with him and silently nodded his head in agreement. He was tired, hungry and wanted to really get rid of the bloodstained clothes he was wearing. "As long as I am called the instant there is a change, I'll go."

"Good, you head home and feel better. I will have the hospital call you the instant something changes," Obadiah reaffirmed as he nodded to Teresa and Edwin to take Tony home.

Tony walked slowly towards the elevators, turning back one last time to see Obadiah heading into his father's room.

Once he was home, the only task was to make sure Tony was comfortable and taken care of. With a great deal of pain and a decent amount of embarrassment on Tony's part with how much help he needed, he took a shower, got comfortable in a sweatshirt and flannel pajama pants minus the sling since it was digging into his neck, ate a real dinner and then crawled into bed. It took only minutes before he was dead asleep.

Teresa peeked in on Tony a few times over the hours out of sheer worry. After about the third time, Edwin gave her a look to stop as he poured her a cup of tea. All of them were shaken up and trying not to show it.

"Edwin, what happens if…" Teresa said as she held her teacup, unable to finish the sentence.

"We know what happens 'if'…it has been clearly spelt out," Edwin interjected. "But don't think about the 'if' because we don't want that if to happen. Everything will turn out fine. We will get through this," he reassured Teresa only to have the phone ringing interrupt him.

Edwin got up to answer the phone and a somber, concerned look fell across his face. "Teresa, wake up Anthony," he said as he covered the cordless phone and handed it to her. "It's the hospital."


	2. January 1997

January 1997

The passing of the holidays and the coming of a new year meant it was an insanely busy time in the business world. In addition to creating and assigning projects for the upcoming year, the previous needed to be closed out and an accounting of the fourth quarter and the year in total needed to be done. All of this meant no one had a free moment at Stark Industries.

Work started early for those at the top of a billion dollar empire built primarily on weapon construction and design. The CEO was in his office by eight every morning nearly every day and like clockwork, his secretary Mary would be in with coffee, the morning newspapers and the day's schedule by 8:15.

"Good morning, Mr. Stark," Mary said pleasantly as she set his coffee and papers on his desk.

"Good morning, Mary. I trust your weekend went well. What's on our agenda for today?"

"It was very nice. Thank you, sir," Mary responded with a smile as she pulled out her book. "You have a conference call with Boeing at nine and another with the Department of Defense at eleven. There is a meeting with Mr. Stane at one and a Board meeting at three to discuss the summary of last year. Also, Design and Development has requested an hour in there to discuss the latest projects."

"Did my son say what he wanted to discuss?" Howard asked as he leaned back slightly in his chair as he sipped his coffee.

"No, he didn't, sir, but he did make it sound as if he had already finished the prototype that you had requested for the presentation to the Department of Defense for next month," Mary replied.

A small smile of pride graced Howard's lips. "He's a damn machine. Thank God I am the one who gave him the job and not one of my competitors. How many days has he been working straight? I lost track after three."

"The hours log registered on and off for about six, most of them being eighteen to twenty hour days," Mary replied as she made a quick check in her book. "Since you hired Anthony, the department's productivity has increased by fifty percent. He is a valuable asset, sir."

"I am reminded of that daily, Mary," Howard replied.

"Will there be anything else, Mr. Stark?"

"That will be all, Mary. Thank you."

Meanwhile, about four floors beneath the CEO's office, the pace was not as leisurely. Every department was submitting their end of the year figures to the accounting department for the summarized tallies. It was left up to the poor souls in the accounting department to compile all the info and generate the reports for the fourth quarter and end of the year summary. It would have been a miracle if each desk didn't have an inbox of about a foot and a half high.

Behind one of these mounds of paper, a young redhead who was one of the newest Stark Industries hires was meticulously scouring over the accounts from the Design and Development department. She had gone over it three times but something just was not adding up right. They were all instructed that if even the slightest irregularity was discovered, it should be reported immediately. The girl picked up her spreadsheets and crossed the room to her supervisor. She explained what error she thought she had picked up on and her supervisor looked up at her with wide eyes, almost not believing what she had said.

"You'll need to discuss that one with Mr. Stark right away because errors like that one don't happen with him," her supervisor said as he waved her off to get the task done without a moment of delay.

The girl swallowed hard as she stepped on to the elevator to ascend to the CEO's office. She didn't believe the error had been that egregious that it had to go directly to the CEO but she was nothing if not professional and obedient when given a directive on something so important. When the elevator doors opened, she smoothed out her skirt, took a deep breath and walked confidently up to the large wooden doors of Howard Stark's office.

She opened the doors and found two secretaries working diligently. She politely approached the one who worked closest to the CEO's private office.

"Excuse me, but I need to discuss an accounting error with Mr. Stark," she spoke up.

Mary looked up from her computer with a smile. "I'm sorry but Mr. Stark is at a meeting but I can schedule you in for an appointment with him for later in the day. May I have your name?"

"Potts," she spoke up as she swallowed down her nervousness. "Virginia Potts."

"What department was the error discovered in?" Mary inquired so she could properly inform her boss.

"Design and Development," Virginia answered quickly.

Mary looked up and gave her the same wide eyed look that her own supervisor gave her. "I'm sorry, Ms. Potts but you are looking for the wrong Stark if it's in that department. You are looking for Anthony Stark."

"Excuse me, I don't understand. I was told to speak with Mr. Stark and I assumed my supervisor meant Howard Stark." Virginia questioned.

"Did he ever say which Stark to go to?" Mary questioned.

"I didn't know there was more than one that demanded immediate attention," Virginia responded honestly.

Mary smiled as she scribbled a room number on a slip of paper and handed it to Virginia. "Anthony Stark is the head of the department. Go speak with him on this and I am sure it will be remedied very quickly. You'll find him in that office. Good luck, sweetie."

Virginia looked at the slip of paper with a bit of confusion but thanked Mary and left the office and got back on the elevator and headed into the basement.

When she stepped off the elevator, she heard the faint sounds of Ozzy Osbourne echoing through the hallways which got louder as she approached the office she needed to go to.

Design and Development stood out in comparison to the rest of Stark Industries. Where the rest was polished and pristine, the basement was almost cluttered and filled with machines in various states of construction. It was a veritable maze of steel and wires with very little human existence to be found. It took Virginia a good twenty minutes before she found someone in a lab coat holding a clipboard that looked like he was in some position of authority.

"Excuse me but I have an accounting error to discuss," Virginia stated politely as she held out her hand to shake. "Where can I find Anthony Stark?"

The technician eyed Virginia up and down and pursed his lips together in appreciation. Tony was going to like this one. "I hope you're good at finding things if you want to find him."

"Could you point me in the right direction?" Virginia asked, trying to hold back her emerging impatience and annoyance at being obviously checked out.

The tech pointed down a hallway of steel frames and machine parts. "Follow the sounds of hard rock and heavy metal and trail of coke cans. When you find someone who clearly looks like he doesn't belong here…that's the head of the department and the one you're looking for. Last I checked he was fixing the hydraulics on one of his prototypes."

Virginia thanked him but couldn't help but notice the more cavalier attitude that existed down in the bowels of the building.

The music got louder as she tried not to trip over the hundreds of tubes and wires that crisscrossed the floor. There were two large bags along the wall; one filled with soda cans and the other with coffee cups and take-out containers. As she rounded a corner she found someone dressed in grease covered jeans, sneakers and a black Stark Industries t-shirt. When she first saw him, he was on a dolly on the floor with his arm shoved up past the elbow inside some sort of robotic device, swearing under his breath at it as he tried to reattach a tube deep inside of it.

"Excuse me, Mr. Stark?" Virginia spoke up as she cleared her throat to get his attention.

"Mr. Stark is my father," Tony responded from under the robot as he reached further inside. "Call me Tony," he ground out as he strained only to have the fluid covered wrench slip out of his hands and scrape his arm as it fell to the floor with a loud clang. Considering he had a lady in his presence, Tony tried to do his level best to not scream out in as much pain as he really was in.

Tony grabbed a rag and pushed the dolly out so he could sit up and see who he was talking to. His eyes started at the floor with a pair of black stilettos and went up long legs, a gorgeous body, a cute nose with a smattering of freckles and flaming red hair. "What can I do for you, beautiful?" he asked as he wiped his hands.

Virginia wanted to groan at the speed that he managed to try to hit on her already but kept it to herself. It was only as he stood up that she got a good look at him. He was young, probably the same age she was. His dark brown hair was a little messy but his eyes you could get lost in. She told herself to get control and maintain professionalism here. "Mr. Stark, there is an issue with the accounting from this department and I need to discuss it with you," Virginia said as she held out the spreadsheet with the error indicated.

"Tony," he corrected her as he wiped his hands again to look at the spreadsheet. "That's impossible. I checked those figures myself…twice."

"Everyone can make an error in math." Virginia interjected.

"I don't," Tony interjected as he ran the numbers in his head again. It only took a matter of moments before he found the problem. "I got it," he said with a smirk as he turned to the rest of the engineers in his department. "Which one of you idiots can't read my writing by now?" he called out.

"None of us can!" someone called back with a laugh.

Tony just rolled his eyes. "The problem is that one of the PhDs that I supervise transposed the numbers wrong. If he realized that this was a four and not a nine, everything works out," he indicated as he pointed out the wrong figure.

Virginia looked at the spreadsheet in shock at how he figured that out so fast. "That works out perfectly. Thank you."

"No problem," Tony said with a smile as he walked closer to her. "Now that business is done, how about you and I discuss things outside the office?"

"What are you getting at?" she countered as the defenses went up.

"Dinner, a movie…maybe something a bit more exciting," Tony said charmingly as he inched in closer still. "What do you say to Friday at seven?"

Virginia laughed. "I say keep dreaming," she countered as she stepped back and gathered her spreadsheets. "Have a good day, Mr. Stark." With that, Virginia turned on her heel and walked out the assembly area. It was only when she was by herself in the elevator did she let the 'wow' slip from her lips. The media didn't do him justice. He was far better looking in person. The rumors she had heard about Tony Stark had some truth in reality. He was charming, gorgeous and relentless when it came to women.

Tony watched intently as she left before he fell back into his swivel chair and popped open a can of soda. She was stunning, smart and he wanted her and when she turned him down, it made him want her more.

"You okay there?" one of the techs asked as they came around the corner. "You look like you just got struck by lightning there."

"I did," Tony said absently. "I think I just met my future wife."

"Does she know that? From what we heard, sounds like you got shot down pretty good."

Tony waved him off with a laugh. "Even Babe Ruth struck out occasionally," Tony countered as he smacked the tech on the shoulder. "That was just my first at bat. Do me a favor; find out where and when she eats lunch?"

At 12:30, Virginia made her way down to the cafeteria for lunch. By the time she went to lunch, she had brushed any thought of Tony Stark from her mind.

Thanks to his spies, Tony made sure he was heading up to the cafeteria just in time to catch her. She had struck him in a way he had never felt before and he sure as hell wasn't letting her get away that easily. He took the elevator to the third floor, did a quick sniff check – pits and breath good, made sure his hands were clean and then scoured the cafeteria. It didn't take him long to find the long-legged redhead who struck him like lightning.

Tony saw her waiting on line, buying a salad and a bottle of water. He butted his way into the line behind her.

"You know…you ran out of my office so quick that I never got your name," Tony stated to get her attention as he held out his hand. "Tony Stark."

"Oh my god," Virginia gasped as she heard Tony's voice and it made her jump. "I'm not going to get rid of you am I? Virginia Potts," she said as she shook Tony's hand.

"It's nice to meet you," Tony said with a smile as she shook her hand. "Now, back to my question about Friday…"

Virginia sighed as she put some fruit salad on her tray. "You are relentless, aren't you?"

"Yes but I prefer determined or driven," Tony countered. "So what do you say?

She shrugged. It was never a good idea to get involved with someone at work, especially the boss' son. "I don't know."

"Then let me pose this to you," Tony said as he tried a new tactic. "Give me one night. Go out with me just this one time. If you find that after that one time that you have absolutely no interest in me whatsoever…that I am like dog poo on your shoe. Tell me that and I will leave you alone forever. But, if after that one night, you have even the slightest, tiniest interest in me at all…even just a little bit…you'll go out with me again. Do we have a deal?"

Virginia sighed as it seemed she had no option. "So, you're saying that if I don't like you at all after Friday, you'll let me be?"

Tony nodded. "Except when you come to question my math, which by the way was right, I'll never bother you again."

Virginia smiled. "Then I guess I'll see you Friday."

Tony gave her the biggest grin. "I'll pick you up Friday at seven," he told her as they approached the cashier. "The lady's lunch is on me. Put it on my account," he said with a smile. "I'll see you Friday night, Virginia Potts." He then kissed her hand and then practically bounced back down to the basement with joy.

It was a little after two when Howard descended into the basement for the appointment that Tony set up. He walked to the back of the workshop where Tony's office was and he watched his son silently for a few moments before making his presence known. Tony was sitting at the drafting table going over the schematics of several new missile designs with a fine tooth comb. He was checking for any flaws or miscalculations that the other engineers had made. But while he worked, he was constantly moving with the music and he seemed so happy. Howard hated to break his rhythm but he turned the music down to get his son's attention.

"Hey! Don't turn…"Tony started to say to whoever was bold enough to touch his stereo but then turned around. "Hi Dad."

"Mary said that you had wanted to see me," Howard stated as he pulled over Tony's other chair.

"Yeah, I even set an appointment this time," Tony said with a laugh since he was known for just busting into his father's office. "The robot is over in the cage there. I got it armed up and everything. Just take it to the range for the brass to see and they'll be crawling over it," Tony said as he pointed to something that resembled a miniature tank.

"Well done, Tony. I'll be able to move up the date of the presentation now to cut out he competitors," Howard said to him as he gave his son a pat on the back. "How many days have you been down here?"

Tony counted it out on his fingers. "What day is today?"

"Monday."

Tony thought about it again. "I think four."

"Try six," Howard corrected. "Mary told me how many hours you put in on this. I appreciate the hard work you do but eighteen to twenty hour days for six days straight is hard on a body…even yours. You get sick from this and I have to hear it from your mother. Take the rest of the week off to recuperate."

"Dad, you said you wanted it done and I got it done. You get the deal and everyone goes home happy," Tony protested.

"But I don't want your mother on my case saying I work you too hard. Go home."

"Dad, I got stuff to get done here." Tony protested once more.

"Do it from home on your computer if you must but you're going home."

Tony knew when to back down from an argument that he had no chance of winning against his father. "Hey Dad, you need to give someone in HR a raise," Tony called out, trying to get his father's attention before he left.

"Why is that?" Howard stated as he stopped to turn back to his son.

"Because which ever one hired the gorgeous redhead in Accounting should be commended," Tony as he packed his stuff up. "Not only did she catch a very costly typo but I got a date with her Friday night."

"Maybe if this one sticks around, your mother and I will get to meet her," Howard stated.

"Dad, if I get what I want with this one, she'll be around a long time," Tony said with a big smile as he slung his backpack over one shoulder and grabbed his jacket and followed his father out.

A few peaceful days had passed after the chaos of Monday and Virginia realized one thing. She never gave Tony her address. She hadn't seen him around at all since he asked her out. Now it was Thursday and if Tony was supposed to pick her up, she needed to give him her address.

Virginia ventured back down to the basement to try to find him. When the elevator doors opened, she didn't hear the music blasting this time, only various forms of machinery. "Is Anthony Stark around?" she asked the first person she saw.

"No, his father gave him a few days off. Why do you need him?" the tech responded distractedly as he worked.

"I need to give him something," Virginia said as she fiddled with the piece of paper with her address on it in her hands.

"Just give it to his father then."

"I can't do that," Virginia protested. There was no way she could go up to Howard Stark's office to drop off her address for Tony. How would it get to him in time? "Do you have his phone number or something?"

The tech rummaged through his desk drawers and pulled out a sticky note and scribbled down something and handed it to Virginia. "Here you go."  
Virginia looked at the paper. "This is a Long Island number."

"Yeah," the tech deadpanned as he went back to work. "That's where he lives."

She thanked him and headed back to her desk in Accounting, anxious about the piece of paper she held in her hand. She was actually nervous about calling him. It took five times before she could actually finish dialing the number so it would start ringing. It rang three times before someone picked up.

"Stark residence," a female voice answered.

Virginia had to remember to breathe and then speak. "Can I speak to Mr. Stark, please?"

"Which one?"

Virginia was a bit taken back when the voice on the other end said 'which one.' The only other Stark she knew of was his father. "Anthony Stark, please,' she responded as if it should have been obvious.

"He's taking a nap at the moment," the voice responded apologetically. "Can I take a message?"

"Yes, thank you. I have a date with him Friday night and I never gave him my address to pick me up." Virginia explained as she ran off her address to the woman.

"I'll be sure to give it to him. Have a good day," she said before hanging up the phone.

Friday was pretty much a blur to Virginia. She tried playing it cool; reminding herself that he had the nerve to hit on her when she was there to talk business but the truth was she was downright nervous and excited about going on a date with Tony Stark. She tried to ignore the rumors that circulated around him like that his bedroom had a revolving door on it, he was always late and he never went more than two days with any woman. Would he have been so persistent if he was going to dump her after only one night?

The only thing that brought her out of the daze that she was in for most of the day was one of her coworkers giving her a message from Tony.

"He said to think classy for tonight," her colleague told her. "I still can't believe you are going out with Tony Stark. You'll have to dish if he's as good in bed as everyone says he is."

"I doubt it will go to that on the first date," Virginia commented as she took the message.

"Apparently you haven't heard what he is like with women."

Virginia sighed. "I've heard all the stories and I will make my judgment after tonight."

"Good luck, have fun, go prepared."

With that comment, Virginia threw her colleague away from her desk so she could go home to get ready.

The doorbell rang exactly at seven and for a moment Virginia stopped breathing. She straightened out her black lace cocktail dress, slipped on her heels and opened the door. There was Tony looking far different than the man who asked her out. Underneath the long black wool coat he wore a fabulously tailored black suit, deep red shirt and red and black striped tie.

"You clean up nice," Virginia joked a little as she let him inside her apartment.

"Did you think I lived in engine grease?" Tony laughed. "Nice place."

'Thank you," Virginia responded as she grabbed her coat and her purse. "I honestly didn't expect you to be so punctual."

'You've been listening to the rumor mill about me," Tony pointed out as he helped her with her coat. "When it's something I really want to do, I could be half an hour early. Truth be told, I actually was a half an hour early. I overestimated how long it would take to get here. I'm surprised you didn't see me out your window. The Mercedes does kind of stick out in Queens. I would have brought the Mustang but they're calling for snow later and it does crappy in snow."

"Are you nervous?" Virginia asked as she took Tony's offered hand and locked her door.

Tony cringed slightly. "I was trying to hide it but I really want this to go well since so much is riding on it. You're gorgeous and you're smart and if I even want to get the chance for a second date, I have to get on your good side," he stated as he opened the car door for her.

"Well, you haven't screwed up so far," Virginia told him with a smile as she got in the car. "Just curious…where are we going tonight?"

"I made three reservations," Tony admitted as he started to drive towards Manhattan. Do you like Japanese?"

"I love it," Virginia replied. "I never could get really good Japanese before I came to New York."

"Then Nobu it is," Tony told her. "Where were you before New York?"

"New Haven, Connecticut," she answered.

"So what made you decide to come to Manhattan?" Tony asked.

"If you major in business in the tri-state area, you move to New York City to find a job," Virginia replied. "What about you? I only know what I have heard in rumors and I am beginning to think many of them are not true."

"Ask me and I'll tell you," Tony admitted.

"Is it true you graduated from MIT at seventeen?"

Tony nodded. "With two Masters' degrees in Physics and Electrical Engineering. I also have two Bachelors' in Computer Science and Mechanical Engineering."

"How did you become the head of a department so young?"

"Nepotism?" Tony joked. "Dad hired me as a ground level engineer just like every one else and when the position opened up three years ago, I put in for it just like everyone else did and proved that I was right to head it."

"What about the revolving door?" Virginia asked boldly.

Tony cringed. "Unfortunately I have had my fair share of one night stands. You don't pull any punches, do you?"

"When I called your house and I asked for Mr. Stark, a woman asked me which one I wanted. Who is the other one?" Virginia continued, seeing how far he would let her push.

"My dad," Tony said honestly.

"You still live with your parents?" Virginia asked incredulously. "I would think being a billionaire and all you could afford your own place."

"Son of a billionaire," Tony corrected. "My father is the billionaire and he keeps me on salary just like everyone else."

"But you're the head of a department. I'm just a lowly accountant and I have my own apartment in Queens." Virginia pushed.

Tony sighed. "It's not a money issue," he stated. "It's just that sometimes when I work eighteen or more hours straight, I like coming home to a place that's not empty. I spent most of my childhood away at school so most of that family stuff I missed out on. They give me my space and I give them theirs so it's not horrible," he explained completely honestly as he parked the car for the valet.

Virginia had to admit that she was a little surprised at first but once Tony explained the situation, she couldn't fault him for his reasoning.

"What about your family? Are they still in Connecticut?" Tony asked as they were seated at their table.

Virginia shook her head. "There's really no one left."

"I'm sorry," Tony replied sincerely as he reached out to take her hand. "I didn't mean to bring up any old wounds."

"It's okay," Virginia reassured him as she took his hand in return. "Things heal in time."

Over the next two hours, Tony and Virginia talked about everything while they dined. From looking at them, most wouldn't have guessed it was only a first date. At the end of the night, Tony drove them back to her appointment in Queens and walked her to her door just as it was starting to snow.

"So, what's the verdict?" he tentatively asked her, hoping that she wouldn't tell him the worst case scenario.

Virginia smiled. "Do you have plans for next Saturday?"

Tony had a huge smile on his face. "Nope, I'm totally free."

"Then pick me up at six," Virginia exclaimed. "And Tony…call me Ginnie."

Tony was beyond overjoyed to hear this. He leaned in and gave her a kiss on the cheek before he backed off to leave. "Absolutely. I'll be there, Ginnie."


	3. March 1997

March 1997

One date soon turned into two. Two soon turned in to at least twice a week. Twice a week evolved into going out every other night and by the time March rolled around, Tony and Ginnie were practically guaranteed to be spotted every day at 12:30 having lunch together and spending at least dinner together nearly every night…even if it meant Ginnie picking up take out and eating in Tony's office while he pulled obscenely long hours.

Most people took little notice of the boss' son and the redhead from accounting spending every free moment they could together. No one said anything when Tony paid for Ginnie's lunch every day and nobody bothered them when they took over the small table in the back of the cafeteria for that brief hour.

Only one person really made a point of going out of his way to see what was going on – Obadiah Stane.

He had noticed the slight shift in Virginia's demeanor when she started seeing Tony on a regular basis. Even though her work was still spotless, always on time or early and without error, he noticed that she was a bit distracted and a bit of the rock solid shell had been chipped away by the boy genius who worked in the basement. Obadiah also found it a bit strange that nothing of this relationship had been brought up by either Howard or Maria in their various gatherings over work or a meal. He would have thought a seemingly long-term relationship for their son would have been a topic of conversation.

"So, what do you know of Tony's girlfriend?" Obadiah asked Howard casually over their lunch at 21.

"I know that she exists and I know her name," Howard replied in between bites. "I don't make it a point to butt into my son's private life."

"You're not even the slightest bit concerned that you have not met this girl yet. They have been together for almost two months now and you don't find it odd that Tony hasn't introduced you to her yet," Obadiah countered, trying to mix casualness with concern.

"When Tony is ready, he will bring her over to introduce us," Howard replied casually and without worry about that situation. "Why are you so concerned about this? He's my son and I think I would know when I can trust my son's instincts. Hell, I let him play with high explosives on a regular basis."

"You have to look at the potential long term, Howard," Obadiah countered. "Something you are not always prone to doing. You still have that ready – fire - aim attitude. If he marries this girl, you may have to think about your legacy."

Howard sighed as he finished off his scotch. "The girl works in your division and from what I understand; she is one of the best that has ever been there. She is probably one of the best things I could hope for in a potential daughter-in-law. If it will get you off my back, I will bring up the subject with Tony."

"I am only looking out for your best interests, my friend," Obadiah said as he raised his glass to Howard before finishing off his drink.

"I thought that was my wife's job."

In the basement of Stark Industries, the bass was blasting full force while Tony had spent the better part of the day at his computer coding the first phase of a project he was working on. He never even noticed that the phone had rung.

"STARK!" one of the techs screamed out as loud as he could over the music. When it didn't get the desired reaction, a nerf ball was shot at Tony's head to get his attention.

"What the hell was that for?" Tony snapped as he threw the ball back at the offender.

"Your father called down here. He wants you upstairs now."

"Damn it," Tony muttered under his breath as he saved his work. "Did he say what he wanted?"

"Nope but it sounded like someone's in trouble."

Tony sighed as he stretched his back out before getting up from his desk. "Thanks for the warning," he spat sarcastically before walking towards the elevator.

The eleven floor ride up to his father's office was almost agonizing when Tony had no idea why he was being summoned. If he had at least some inkling, he could prepare himself for whatever fire he was going to face. As the elevator came to a stop on the top floor, Tony closed his eyes and took a deep breath before the doors opened.

At the ding of the opening doors, Tony opened his eyes and stepped out, walking directly over to his father's secretary, Mary.

"My father asked me to come up. Will you please let him know I'm here?" Tony said somberly, bracing himself for whatever fire he was about to face.

"Of course, Tony," Mary said sweetly to him as she noticed his lack of usual good mood. "Is something wrong?"

"I would hope you could tell me that," Tony replied as Mary buzzed his father.

"For what it's worth…good luck," Mary responded warmly. "He's expecting you."

"Thanks Mary," Tony said with a small smile to the older woman as he walked into his father's office. "You wanted to see me?"

Howard looked up from the folders on his desk when he heard Tony's voice. "Yes, I did. Have a seat, Anthony."

Tony cringed as he sat down. It wasn't often he was called Anthony and when he was it usually meant something bad for him. "What did I do?"

"You did nothing per se," Howard started, trying to quell the boy's fears. "I want to talk to you about your girlfriend."

"What about her?" Tony spat back defensively.

"I have heard that you two have been getting rather close and I am wondering why you have not yet introduced her to your mother and me," Howard stated calmly.

"What are your sources, Dad? Have you been spying on me?" Tony countered back again, hating that what few private moments he got with Ginnie was now gossip fodder.

"Tony, calm down," Howard replied to try to diffuse his son's now rising temper. "I have not been spying. I am just curious as to why you have been keeping this girl a secret for two months."

Tony sighed. There was no way around this. Saying the truth, no matter how painful, was always faster than giving a lie. "Honestly, because I'm afraid you'll scare her off."

Howard was a little taken back by the blunt honesty of Tony's answer. "Why on Earth would you think that?"

"Because at times, you can be very intimidating," Tony answered as he crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back in the chair he was sitting in. If his father wanted a battle of wills, he was more than willing to play. "I know Mom wouldn't scare her off…smother her with affection maybe, but you can either consciously or unconsciously be a very scary person. I care very deeply about this girl and I don't want you scaring her off."

Howard had never heard Tony speak that way about anyone else before. This girl really did mean something to him. "How about this, why don't you bring your girlfriend out to the house for the weekend so your mother and I have the opportunity to get to know her better so we can see why she is so special to you?"

There was no way that Tony could easily get out of this. His hands were tied and now he had to spring this on Ginnie, an idea which gave him a sick feeling in his stomach. "What time Friday?" he conceded albeit reluctantly.

"I would say about an hour or so before dinner so she will have some time to settle in first," Howard told his son.

"We'll be there," Tony automatically responded, knowing he lost this battle. "Is there anything else?"

"No Tony, that's all," Howard said as he dismissed Tony. "Kindly close the door on your way out."

"He wants us to do WHAT?!" Ginnie cried out none too quietly as Tony cringed from the glares boring into the back of his head from her office mates.

"It wasn't my idea. If I had thought of it, we would have been on neutral territory. Now, he has the upper hand and home field advantage," Tony groaned.

"I don't even have the first clue on what to bring. How could he just spring this on you?" Ginnie exclaimed.

"I think someone snitched on us to him and he doesn't like to lose so he tries to strong arm me," Tony said somewhat miserably. "Don't worry about packing. I'll help and take you shopping if necessary."

Ginnie got the same feeling Tony had. There was no way out of this. "When?"

"I'll pick you up here at three on Friday," Tony told her.

"I can't leave at three. I have work to do and they won't look too kindly if I just skip out early on a Friday."

Tony smiled as he leaned in to give her a kiss. "You are going to the boss' house at his request and his son is picking you up. I think I'm your 'get out of jail free' card. Trust me, no one will yell at you and if they do…then they deal with me."

Friday came around far too quickly for Tony and Ginnie. Meeting the parents was nerve wracking enough and even more so when they are Howard and Maria Stark.

As they drove down the Long Island Expressway, Ginnie could see the tension in Tony by watching the way he was driving. Normally, he would not bat an eye at doing eighty with one hand on the wheel, music blasting, and ducking in and out of traffic effortlessly, which scared the living hell out of Ginnie. Today, he was actually driving closer to the speed limit, the music was at a more human level, occasionally two hands were on the wheel and the biggest thing…he wasn't talking.

"You're nervous, aren't you?" Ginnie asked him as calmly as she could as she reached over to put a hand on his leg.

Tony nodded. "I know how my father can be and I am deeply scared that this will go badly. At least my mom will back you up as long as she doesn't smother you."

"If I can handle you, I am sure I can handle him," Ginnie said with as much confidence as she could muster. The confidence went away as quick as it came when she looked up at the exit numbers and realized where they were going. "You live in the Hamptons?!" she cried out.

"East Hampton to be exact," Tony replied. "Where did you think I lived?" he added as matter of factly as if she had just asked him to pass the salt.

"I knew it was Suffolk County based on your phone number but I was hoping for a lower exit number. I didn't realize we were going right into the lion's den of the rich and famous," Ginnie exclaimed.

Tony sighed and then laughed. "Then you should be glad that they didn't invite you to the mansion in Beverly Hills for the weekend. You might have had a heart attack with the private jet."

"Right now, I'll stick to the mass of huge butterflies that just migrated to my stomach but I'll reserve the right to have said heart attack later," Ginnie responded as she playfully smacked him.

It wasn't long before the heart attack option was about to come into the play. Tony turned off the highway and the first thing that Ginnie saw was the private road and the large iron gate and stone wall surrounding the property at the end. Tony drove up and typed in his code to open the gate as Ginnie was awestruck. As he continued to drive up the tree lined road, she could see the ocean up to the northwest. It wasn't long before the road opened up to a go-around in front of what could only be referred to as a compound. There were two smaller houses off either side of the main house, which was probably five times bigger than the other two. The rich stone and woodwork on the exterior of the house was exquisite, blending the rich browns and gray.

Tony pulled up to the smaller house to the left which Ginnie soon realized that it was the garage and parked the car. As Tony was unloading the trunk, Ginnie peeked around the back of the house and saw a beautiful pool and spa as well as a sleek outdoor living room, outdoor dining area with fireplace and built in kitchen surrounded by lush landscaping. Even the garage was impressive. Not only did it hold the collection of automobiles that Howard and Tony had amassed but it had a full fledged two level work area which she was certain that both father and son had clocked in several thousand hours there as well as a big screen TV and a fully stocked bar from what she could see.

Tony was watching Ginnie admire everything as he was unloading the car and he smiled slightly. "I'll give you the grand tour later," he told her as he called her over and picked up her bags. "Ready to go in?"

"Ready as I'll ever be," Ginnie said as she took a deep breath and grabbed a hold of Tony's arm to follow him in.

Inside was even more impressive than the outside. The rich mahogany toned wood made the inside feel warm but regal. Family photos as well as photographic art adorned the walls which made it actually feel like a home which a family lived in rather than the museum that Ginnie was expecting. There was a large staircase off to her right which led to the second floor with another going into the basement and in front of her was a large reception area, from which she could see glimpses of living rooms, a dining room, and the terrace which led to the backyard.

Tony set the bags down on the floor and almost on cue, his butler showed up out of one of the side rooms. He was an older gentleman but still strong and fit who seemed to love his job.

"Good afternoon, Master Anthony," he greeted warmly.

"How are you doing, Edwin?" Tony replied with a smile. "Allow me to introduce my girlfriend, Virginia Potts," he added as he presented Ginnie.

"I am doing quite well and even more so to meet your charming lady, sir," Edwin replied as he shook Ginnie's hand.

"Pleased to meet you as well, Edwin," Ginnie added.

"Are my parents home yet?" Tony asked as he was taking his coat off and hanging it up in the closet before taking Ginnie's.

"They are both still in the city. You made very good time but then I know how you drive," Edwin replied. "Your mother asked me to tell you to get your girlfriend settled and show her around while you wait. I'll take your things up to the rose room, Miss Potts."

"Thank you, Edwin," Ginnie called back as he gathered the bags and made a discreet exit. "How many servants do you have?"

"We only have two staff here," Tony replied as he took her hand. "Edwin, our butler and Teresa, our housekeeper, which I'll introduce you to if I can find her," he said as he sniffed quickly. "This way," Tony said as he led Ginnie towards the direction of the kitchen. "Something smells good in here," Tony exclaimed as he walked in to the kitchen.

Teresa jumped at the sound of Tony's voice. "You're early. I had expected you later," she exclaimed as she playfully slapped him. "You should know better than to startle me, young man."

"But it's so much fun," Tony laughed. "Teresa, I'd like you to meet my girlfriend, Virginia Potts."

Teresa wiped her hands off on a kitchen towel before shaking Ginnie's hand. "It's nice to finally meet you, dear. I'm sorry I'm such a mess. Can I get you anything since Tony here hasn't offered yet?" she said as she shot a glare to Tony who was standing by the fridge, grabbing a soda.

Tony practically choked on his tongue when Teresa said that. "I haven't had a chance to yet. Man, a guy can't breathe in this house."

"I'll just take a bottle of water," Ginnie said politely to get Tony off the hook.

"Anyway, I was told I have to give the dime tour before Mom and Dad get home so we're going to leave now so I don't get picked on anymore," Tony exclaimed with a smile as he handed Ginnie the bottle of water and took her hand to get her out of the kitchen.

"They're both very nice," Ginnie said to Tony as she was trying to hide the giggles.

"They really are and they love busting my balls whenever they get the chance," Tony added. "So, time for the dime tour. On the main floor here we have the kitchen which you've seen, dining room, living room, family room, library and the terrace leading out to the back as well as two of the bathrooms," he explained as he walked quickly through the rooms before taking her down to the basement. "Down here, we have the private gym, the third bathroom, game room and the back entrance to the garage where Dad and I go to play to stay out of Mom's hair. Now all the way up." They climbed both staircases up to the second floor. "Up here we have the remaining four bathrooms, Dad's office, master bedroom," Tony said as he pointed out each room. "This one is yours…the so aptly named rose room due to the décor," he explained as he pointed out the lighter colored room with a rose colored quilt on the bed and roses on most of the accessories. "This room does have its advantages though. It has a walk in closet and semi-private bathroom"

"Why is it semi-private?" Ginnie asked curiously.

A mischievous smile crossed Tony's face. "Because on the other side of the door across the way," he explained as he pointed to the door past the shower, "is my room." Tony took Ginnie's hand and led her through the bathroom that they shared to his room. He opened the door and let her go in first to explore since he had already been to her apartment several times.

The walls were warm shades of red and the furniture was all made of richly colored cherry and you could hear the ocean in the background. The bed was only a full sized one with the red and blue plaid bedspread that seemed oddly cozy. The walls were decorated with some of Tony's achievements – his degrees from MIT, various clippings of articles written about him – and a few pictures of his family and friends.

One picture in particular caught Ginnie's attention. It was one of Tony with an Air Force officer. "Who's that?"

"That's my best friend…hell, my only friend, James Rhodes," Tony explained. "We met up at MIT. He's stationed on the west coast at the moment so we only get to hang out when Dad brings me on the field trips to the LA office."

"If he's your only friend, what am I?" Ginnie asked with a smile.

"Far more than friend," Tony responded as he pulled her close. "You are the missing half of my heart."

Tony was about to lean in for a kiss when he heard the door close downstairs and he cursed under his breath. His parents had arrived and there was no backing out now. He was now desperately wishing for an escape hatch out the window. "Impeccable timing as usual," he ground out.

Ginnie was picking up on the nerves again. "Why are you the nervous one? I'm the one that should be nervous."

Tony shook his head as he held her hand to walk back down stairs. "You…they will love. I will get anything else later."

Howard and Maria Stark were taking off their coats and giving the evening's details to Edwin as Tony and Ginnie came down the stairs together. Before his parents had the chance to give him a lecture, Tony preempted them with the fact that he was giving Ginnie a tour of the house and nothing more.

"Well, I guess we should get the formalities out of the way," Tony exclaimed as he hit the first floor, trying to get this over quickly. "Ginnie, may I present my parents Howard and Maria Stark. Mom, Dad…this is my girlfriend, Virginia Potts."

Ginnie held out her hand to shake with both of his parents. "It's a pleasure to meet you both, Mr. and Mrs. Stark."

"Likewise," Maria responded as she warmly greeted the girl in front of her. "I only wish my son hadn't kept you a secret for so long. Come along, dear. Let's go into the living room and get comfortable so we can get to know each other better before dinner."

Tony took Ginnie's hand and led her into the living room before his parents and took a seat on one of the couches next to Ginnie, never letting go of her hand. He figured he had a choice to walk into the fire or be burned by it later by being afraid of it.

"So, first off, how did you meet our son?" Maria asked as she and Howard sat down on the couch opposite from Tony and Ginnie.

"I found an accounting error from his department when were doing the year end books and I had to talk to him about it," Ginnie responded. "Then he followed me up to lunch and wouldn't back down until I agreed to go out with him at least once."

"Tony made a mistake with math?" Howard inquired as he turned towards his son who never made a math error.

"She found a handwriting error because the geniuses under my supervision can't read my writing. The math was right once that was fixed," Tony said in his own defense.

Maria noted that her son still had his lady's hand and she gave him a small smile as she tried to get to know the girl better. "Where are you from, Virginia? Tell us about your family."

"Please, call me Ginnie," she started. "I'm from New Haven, Connecticut and unfortunately there's not much to tell about my family."

"What do you mean there's not much to tell about your family? Start with the basics." Howard interjected.

Ginnie sighed. This was a bit of a hard subject but Tony's hand in hers gave her enough brass to talk about it. "My dad was a police office for the town of New Haven and my mother was a teacher."

Maria could sense she was holding back something and Howard sometimes was as blunt as a spoon. "Do you get to see them often?" she asked, trying to see if she could keep the girl talking.

Ginnie swallowed hard. She hated having to explain this. "My mom passed away about six years ago. It was very hard on my dad after she got sick and when I went away to school he just wasn't the same by himself until he joined her."

"I am so sorry to hear that, my dear. It must have been hard to be on your own so soon," Maria said soothingly.

"It was hard but I was able to get through it by throwing myself into my studies at UCONN," Ginnie remarked.

"What did you major in?" Howard interjected.

"I double majored in international business and accounting," Ginnie responded quickly as she snapped out of the slight melancholy that talking about her parents had put her in. "I graduated with honors in both of them."

Howard was impressed but he didn't outwardly show it, keeping up the poker face while he was sizing up the first girl his son ever brought home, even if it was by force. "So what did you do before my business partner was smart enough to hire you?"

It was beginning to feel more like a job interview to Ginnie rather than a meeting of her boyfriend's family. "I worked as a bank teller while I was in school and Mr. Stane hired me shortly after I graduated."

Maria shot her husband a look to stop interrogating the girl like he was. "What do you like to do for fun, Ginnie?" she asked warmly, trying to get Howard off her back.

"Well, I like to read, travel and shopping when I can afford them and have the time, and I like to go mountain climbing and hiking," she answered.

Maria looked at the elegant girl in front of her and never would have pegged her as an outdoor girl. "Where is your favorite place to climb?"

"My favorite so far was in the Rocky Mountains with my dad before he passed."

Howard was getting impatient with the idle chit chat. "What are your intentions when it comes to our son?" came flying out of Howard's mouth without any warning as he cut right to the chase.

Tony nearly choked on the soda he was drinking before he spit it down his face when he heard that question. "Dad!" he cried out as he shot his father an icy glare as he tried to wipe off what he had spit out.

"It's a perfectly clear question, Anthony," Howard replied with a clear warning by using Tony's full name. "Everything has to do with business and this family's business is business. I would like to know where she stands."

"I really can't believe you at the moment," Tony said as he stood up to go get a towel to wipe off his shirt. "Excuse me for a moment," he added harshly as he was heading into the kitchen.

"Tony, while you're up. Get me a drink. Three fingers on the rocks," Howard called out to his son before turning his gaze back to Ginnie.

Ginnie wanted to follow after Tony when he got up but she knew it would not be the best idea to get in the middle. She decided the best idea was to answer the question. "I care very deeply about your son. We have discussed some aspects of what we want for the future but for the moment, he and I complete each other. I didn't know it at first but I do now but Tony was what was missing in my life."

Howard and Maria were both very impressed by Ginnie's answer. This was the first girl that they knew of that Tony really fell head over heels for and the last thing they wanted was to see him get hurt.

"Please forgive my husband for being so rudely direct," Maria interjected. "We just don't want to see Tony hurt at all. You're the first girl he has ever brought home to us so we know how special you are to him."

"I have no problem with directness," Ginnie stated. "I completely understand your concern and respect that. I have no intention of ever hurting Tony. As he says, I'm the other half of his heart so how could I ever break his?"

Tony had been just out of sight but within earshot of Ginnie's answer. She didn't hesitate one second before answering his parents and she clearly told them how she felt about him, hopefully quelling their concerns about her so they could stop the interrogation. He walked back into the living room and handed his father the scotch he wanted and sat back down next to Ginnie, significantly calmer than when he left. "Teresa said she's setting dinner out now," he mentioned, hoping it would move things in another direction.

"Let's go sit down to dinner then," Maria stated warmly before walking with Howard into the dining room, leaving Tony and Ginnie in the living room.

"I am so sorry about that. I had no idea he was going to do that to you," Tony whispered to Ginnie. He truly did feel horrible about the way his father treated her.

"It's fine, Tony. I understand where they're coming from and I had no problem answering the question. I just hope my answer was acceptable enough."

Dinner went by far more peacefully than the interrogation that preceded it. After dinner, Howard announced to everyone that he was heading down to the garage as he normally did. Maria settled into the family room with a book to try to give Tony and Ginnie some time to themselves.

As the house seemed to be quieting down for the night, Ginnie announced that she was going to bed so Tony could have time to play in the garage with his father. Normally, Tony would have gone down there for hours on the weekend but something didn't seem right and he followed Ginnie upstairs, which did not go unnoticed by his mother.

Tony climbed the stairs quickly after her and found Ginnie sitting alone on her bed.

"What's wrong?" he asked gently as he sat beside her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

"It's nothing," Ginnie said, trying to reassure him. "Just a little family overload. I haven't had to deal with this in a while."

"I actually do understand that," Tony admitted. "There are times I'm still getting used to them."

Ginnie looked at him confused. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I spent most of my childhood away at school in one form or another and when I was home my father always thought that I was in his way except when working on a car together. When I was younger, I don't remember him ever saying that he loved me. He was always cold and distant. It's only now that he is getting used to having me around and I think he's trying to make up for lost time," Tony explained. "I know my mother has even more regrets about it but there's not much you can do about what has already been done. It's only now that they are really getting involved."

Ginnie leaned into Tony's warm embrace and rested her head on his shoulder. "It will get easier, won't it?"

"I can only hope so."


	4. March 1997 - part 2

March 1997 – part 2

After the events of Friday night, the rest of the weekend went relatively without incident. The local economy got a substantial boost from a Maria Stark/Virginia Potts shopping spree which was topped off by Howard contributing a small fortune towards dinner out on Saturday evening and everything ended on a pleasant note when Tony left with Ginnie in the later afternoon Sunday to bring her back home.

After the two hour ride back to Queens from Long Island, the couple decided to grab a quick bite to eat before going back to Ginnie's apartment. They found a small place just a few blocks from Ginnie's apartment which seemed to have a pretty good crowd. A good crowd on a Sunday night usually means it can't be too bad so they went in.

Upon hearing there would be a wait for a table, Tony and Ginnie opted to sit in the bar to speed things up. Ginnie grabbed a table while Tony went up to the bar to order a few drinks. Then the good weekend took a quick and undeniable turn for the worst.

Ginnie had been casually glancing around the establishment, taking in the décor while she waited for Tony when she heard the chair across from her get pulled out. Assuming it was Tony, she turned with a smile but it quickly vanished when she saw a dark haired man that was roughly the size of a gorilla sitting across from her.

"Excuse me, but you're sitting in my boyfriend's chair," she told him politely but there was an undertone that clearly said leave.

"You're right, beautiful," the man replied. "How about I buy you a drink?"

From the bar, Tony heard Ginnie's voice and he turned around and saw the beast sitting across her and it downright pissed him off. He crossed the room and walked right back to the table to get rid of the invader. "The lady told you to leave," Tony stated in a cold tone that was very reminiscent of his father.

"I don't believe this is any of your business so back the hell off," the gorilla countered. "Understood?"

Tony's blood boiled while Ginnie kept a close eye on him and the gorilla. Being insulted twice in ten seconds did not go over well with him, especially after how often he got bullied in high school. "No, I don't think you understand," he countered. "I'll use small words so there's no confusion. She's my girlfriend and you're in my seat so you can go away now."

The gorilla eyed Tony up and down and seriously thought he was joking. "What the hell do you have to offer her that I don't?"

Now this was a throw down and Tony did not back off from an outright challenge. Time to pull out all the tricks and use that genius brain he was born with. "Well, let's start with an initial examination of what you put forth here. I am guessing from a cursory glance over all you offer is a couple of jerseys with your name on the back of them so you don't forget how to spell it and a locker that reeks of week old gym socks and unwashed jock straps," Tony spat back at him. "Me on the other hand…I have two post-graduate degrees from MIT, a couple of buildings on either coast with my name on the outside of them and oh…the big kicker…I make things that blow up for a living. So who do you think is the better catch now? Get the hell away from my girlfriend."

The gorilla stood up from the table in a rage at what Tony had said. "Now, I'm going to kill you, you little son of a bitch!"

Tony's eyes looked up at the beast as he stood up. He had Tony by a good six inches at least and probably close to 100 pounds. "Oh shit…" Tony muttered under his breath as he tried to take a step back to duck from was the inevitable. But before he had a chance to move, a large and fast moving fist was making contact with Tony's head and he was being thrown across a table into a wall and everything went black.

* * *

Ginnie screamed as she saw Tony beaten down. She ran over to his crumpled body on the floor, calling his name before shooting an icy glare to the gorilla.

As consciousness was returning to Tony, he was almost wishing it wasn't. He vaguely heard what seemed like Ginnie's voice calling his name. Everything hurt as he tried to move and as he blinked his eyes to regain focus, he was staring right into the face of an NYPD officer.

"Great…the hits just keep coming," he groaned out as he tried to turn on his side but was stopped by the remnants of the table that had broken when he was thrown against it.

"Do you know your name, man?" the officer asked as he tried to help Tony to at least sit up.

"Anthony Stark," Tony ground out through a sharp hiss of pain from being moved. For a second, he had considered saying Tony but he didn't think it would go over well on an official capacity.

The officer's face turned white. "Like Howard Stark and Stark Industries?"

"Yeah…he's my father," Tony responded as he swore he heard the officer swallow hard at that.

"Mr. Stark, are you able to tell us what happened? We got one end from your girlfriend here and another from him," the officer said as Tony reached up to touch Ginnie's hand that was holding a rag against his head to stop the bleeding.

Tony looked over at the gorilla who was sitting in handcuffs in a chair on the other end of the bar with the officer's partner and that made him feel somewhat better. "King Kong over there tried to pick up my girlfriend. She told him to go away as did I. Words were exchanged. He didn't like what I said and then he either threw me or hit me but I'm not exactly sure because everything went black after that."

"That goes pretty well in line to what your girlfriend said," the officer stated. "Do you wish to press charges?"

"Absolutely," Tony spat out as he tried to stand up but slipped back down again amongst the wreckage of wood, glass and metal.

The other officer hauled the gorilla out of the bar very quickly after that statement. "We've taken the liberty of calling an ambulance for you, Mr. Stark. It should be here shortly."

Tony was about to open his mouth to protest when Ginnie laid a finger across his lips to silence him.

"You're bleeding. You may have internal injuries from being thrown across the room into a table and you can barely stand now. You're going to have them at least check you out for my sake," Ginnie told him, leaving no room for argument.

Tony was left speechless as the EMTs showed up and the officer ducked out, stating he would be in touch.

* * *

After a quick trip to the emergency room, Tony and Ginnie got back to Ginnie's apartment three hours later, tired and still hungry since dinner got a little fouled up. Ginnie helped Tony to get comfortable on her couch before heading to her kitchen to see what food she had to eat as well as get some ice and Advil for Tony.

Tony leaned back against the couch and closed his eyes to try to lessen the throbbing in his head. He was just starting to relax when he heard his cell phone ring. Tony pulled out the phone and cringed when he saw the number that it was coming from. "Yes Dad?" he stated as he answered the phone.

"What the hell were you thinking?!" Howard roared. "A bar fight! You have got to be kidding me, Anthony. I shouldn't be seeing your face plastered all over the news for a bar fight!"

Tony just shook his head. "Dad, did you actually listen to the story which probably included the part where I got my ass kicked in that altercation and I never touched the guy?"

"I shouldn't be hearing your name on the news, Tony. You have an image to uphold and a goddamned bar fight does not go along with it," Howard roared again.

Tony's head was throbbing and his father yelling at him wasn't helping any. "Dad, I'm going to say this once. I have had a really crappy night which included a trip to the emergency room. If you continue along this line of conversation, not only will I hang up, I will also not come home tonight," Tony said as calmly as he could manage with his father ripping his head off.

"Anthony, you will not dare to tell me what to discuss with you. I am not finished with this…"

With the last statement, Tony hung up his phone without another word and threw it on the couch next to him before closing his eyes again.

Ginnie couldn't help but overhear bits of the conversation and she felt horrible for what he was going through. She walked back into the living room and handed Tony some ice, which he gladly put on his throbbing head.

"Your dad seemed pretty angry," she said as gently as possible as she sat down next to Tony.

"He's just overreacting. He'll calm down in a couple of hours or so," Tony sighed. "To me, it seems like someone egged him on before he called me. He usually doesn't bitch me out like that."

"You know, no one has ever done something like this for me before," Ginnie said warmly as she kissed Tony gently.

"What? Gotten their ass kicked?" Tony inquired.

"No," Ginnie corrected him. "Defended my honor."

Tony slowly sat up and put down the bag of ice so he could look into her eyes. "You're my girlfriend and I love you. Why wouldn't I stick up for you especially when something that escaped from the Bronx Zoo was trying to pick you up?"

Ginnie smiled as she shifted so she was straddling Tony's lap. She leaned in and kissed him again as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "Tell me honestly…did you actually think you had a chance of beating that guy?"

Tony slid his arms around Ginnie's waist. "If it remained an intellectual battle, there was no contest. But since gorilla boy turned it physical…the odds were definitely more in his favor. I really didn't care. If it meant keeping you safe, I would have challenged 100 of him and probably would have received the same beating."

Ginnie leaned in to kiss Tony deeply once more, pressing her body against his. He groaned slightly in pain but ignored it in favor pulling closer to him, letting his hands glide down her back and over her rear. Ginnie felt Tony's hands move lower as she shifted in his lap, his enjoyment quickly becoming evident to her. She ran her fingers gently through his hair as she pulled back from the kiss.

Tony had a pretty good idea where this was heading but he wanted to make sure. "Don't start anything you don't plan on going all the way with," he teased with a smile.

"Oh I plan on closing the deal," Ginnie purred to him. "The question is are you up to it?"

Tony smiled. "I would have to be dead to be torn away from you and even then I think I could renegotiate."

Ginnie kissed Tony once more before getting off of his lap. "Get comfortable in the bedroom. I'll be there in just a bit," she said playfully as she ducked into the bathroom.

Tony painfully pushed himself off the couch and walked down the small hallway into Ginnie's bedroom. As he entered, he caught sight of his reflection in her mirror and cringed. He turned fully towards it and took stock of his injuries truly for the first time. There was a decent sized gash over his right eye surrounded by a deep black bruise, an abrasion on his cheek and a split lip. Tony peeled off his shirt, which had stuck a little to the dried blood, to examine the rest of the damage. Deep black bruises that were punctuated with angry scrapes covered his right shoulder, arm, his back and around the right side of his rib cage. He hissed in pain as he touched some of the more tender spots but fought to ignore what he saw when Ginnie walked back into the room.

"I had expected you would have gotten more comfortable by now." Ginnie said as she walked into the bedroom dressed in a cobalt blue lace flyaway babydoll that could leave very little to the imagination. She wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him deeply and running her fingers through his hair as she pressed her body against his.

"I got distracted. You know you could kill a normal man with something like that," Tony exclaimed, breaking from the kiss momentarily. "Are you trying to prove the rumors about me?"

"I don't give a damn about the rumors," Ginnie stated as she slid her hands down Tony's chest to the waistband of his jeans and effortlessly popped the button open. "I just want you in bed with me," she said as she took his hand and led him towards her bed.

"Your wish is my command," Tony stated as he pulled her close once more to capture her lips once more and hiding the wince of pain as he laid her down on the bed.

Lying next to each other, savoring the passion embedded within their kiss, Tony's hands slid down the length of her body to bring her leg up over his hip and then traced the back up to caress her rear before going back up to Ginnie's lace covered breasts, toying with the tiny piece of ribbon that held everything together.

Ginnie's arched and moved into Tony's touch. The mixture of strength, gentility and love that came through his hands was just melting her. Her fingers ran down his side, being mindful of the injuries that he possessed, until she slipped her small hand beneath the waistband of his jeans to find his rear. She kneaded him for a few moments before going back up his stomach, stopping at his jeans and unzipping the fly to finish the job she had started earlier.

Tony felt his jeans become distinctly looser and was a bit relieved. His arousal was making them quite uncomfortable. "Take them off," Tony whispered as started to make his way down her jaw and neck with his mouth until he met the delicious up swell of her breasts where he grabbed the tiny ribbon of her lingerie and pulled it with his teeth to open the delicate garment to reveal her breasts.

Ginnie almost forgot to breathe as Tony took her breasts into his mouth. But her brain kicked back into gear when Tony asked her to get rid of his jeans. She slid her hands down his body, slipping beneath the fabric of his clothes to slip them down his hips while grabbing his rear once more.

Once Ginnie got his clothes down far enough, Tony was more than willing to kick them off the rest of the way. While his mouth was pleasuring her breasts, his hand slipped down to the warm spot between her legs, rubbing her gently over the delicate lace panties she still had on. Deciding that these were in the way of the true glory, Tony slipped them effortlessly over Ginnie's hips and cast them down her legs and out of the way so that he could pleasure her without any inhibitions.

Ginnie gasped when she felt Tony's calloused fingers on her delicate skin but her legs fell open to him. Since she did not have his lips as the moment, Ginnie started to nibble at his ear lobe while stroking his arousal slowly while he pleasured her, trying to give him as much pleasure as he was giving her.

Just having Ginnie's hands on him was enough to almost bring Tony to the brink. He moved back up to capture her lips as he gently rolled Ginnie onto her back and positioned himself between her legs, only waiting for her permission to become one.

Once they moved, Ginnie guided Tony into her before wrapping her legs around his hips to bring him closer to her.

Not moving at first to let her body get used to him, Tony wanted to draw this out as long as possible. Tony started to thrust slowly inside of Ginnie, kissing her and caressing her as they were making love. He continued to thrust slowly inside of her, only speeding up slightly when he felt the rhythm of Ginnie's body match his as he brought them both over the edge of orgasmic bliss.

As the waves began to ebb, Tony slid to the side again to lie beside Ginnie, still holding her as exhaustion was threatening to overtake his will. "I love you," he whispered as he kissed her lovingly.

Ginnie curled into Tony, letting herself drift off as well in the comfort of Tony's arms. "I love you too," she told him as she pulled the blankets over them and they let sleep claim them.

When Ginnie's alarm clock went off at five, it was the last sound she wanted to hear. She was so comfortable in Tony's arms and did not want to leave them so soon but one does need to go to work.

Ginnie tried to slip out of bed without disturbing Tony who was still snoring softly beside her but she wasn't so lucky.

"Where are you going?" Tony whispered through a yawn as he tried to pull her back into bed.

"I have to get ready for work and technically so do you," Ginnie told him.

"I don't…one of my few scheduled days off," Tony corrected her. "Anyway, if I didn't already have today off, I would have been calling in anyway. I'm in agony and if I was home, I would have been spending the day in bed or on the couch. Spending the day in bed with you sounds decidedly more fun."

Ginnie slipped on her robe as she stood up from her bed, adjusting the blanket for Tony. "How could you possibly have done what you did if you were in that much pain last night?"

"Desire, determination and a hell of a lot of willpower until the endorphins kicked in," Tony replied as he shoved himself up and propped a few pillows behind him. "I told you, there was no way on this Earth I was turning you down…especially not with that invitation. But seriously, call in and stay here with me today."

"I have work to do…you know those things called deadlines that you have to meet," Ginnie chided him. "I just can't call in sick for no reason."

"I am very familiar with deadlines. My father gives them to me all the time. If it makes you feel better, I can set your computer up for remote access and you can do some of the work from home just as well as if you were sitting at your desk at Stark Industries. And you wouldn't be calling in for any reason. I can guarantee that all the higher powers that be, including my father and Obie, saw my embarrassment on the news last night and if you call in saying you're taking care of me…no one will question it. I will go along with anything you say if you need to make it more convincing," Tony explained, trying to give her no reason to leave him.

Ginnie paused to absorb what Tony had just said. He made a convincing statement that she really couldn't argue with. As a sign of her acquiescence, Ginnie handed Tony her laptop. "You get that set up for remote access and I'm going to make us some breakfast. You are going to take it easy though today. If you can do that as beat up as you are now, I can't wait for when you are well."

Tony smiled as he got to work on her laptop. "How can I refuse?"

Over the next few hours, they ate and a little more fun in a hot shower before finally getting Tony to relax. It wasn't long before he was sound asleep while Ginnie worked next to him in the bed. Every once and a while, she would turn to just glance at him for a bit with a smile, knowing that this was where he was supposed to be…beside her.

* * *

After spending a quiet day together, there was one thought that Ginnie just could not put out of her mind. "Tony, what are you going to do about your father?" she asked him over dinner.

Tony sighed. "I'm going to have to talk to him but I know it's not going to be pretty."

"When do you plan on doing this?"

Tony shrugged. "I thought about going up to his office in the morning and talking to him there."

"For a genius, that's not a very well thought out plan," Ginnie stated. "You don't need him to have the upper hand. You need neutral territory. Why don't we go back to your parents' after dinner?"

"That's a pretty long drive. I don't know how well my back's going to handle it," Tony admitted.

Ginnie had a solution. She picked up Tony's keys from his pocket. "You're not driving. I am."

The two hour ride out to Long Island was largely a quiet one thanks to a large dose of Advil to let Tony snooze part of the way. He only woke up towards the end to give Ginnie refresher directions to his parents' house. Ginnie pulled into the driveway and turned off the car but they waited in the car for a few moments for Tony to collect himself before having to face his father.

Tony and Ginnie walked into the house together and were promptly greeted by Edwin.

"Good evening, Master Anthony, Miss Potts," Edwin said warmly as he took their coats.

"Edwin, where's my father?" Tony asked.

"He's in his office," Edwin replied.

Tony took a deep breath. "Would you mind hanging back for a few so I can talk to him? You can wait in my room if you want," he asked Ginnie.

"What ever you need me to do…I'm here for you," Ginnie agreed before kissing Tony gently and heading upstairs while Tony headed down to his father's office.

Tony knocked on the door and opened it only when he heard his father give permission from the inside. "Dad, can we talk for a minute?"

Howard was bent over his desk, piecing together bits of his computer that were strewn across from one end to another. "Now you wish to discuss things," he quipped. "I am supposed to bend to your whim."

"Dad, I'm trying to discuss this with you like men."

"You were in a goddamned bar fight and then you hide from me. What is there to discuss?"

"Dad, did you even hear the whole story of what happened? Some beast was trying to pick up Ginnie and she told him to back off. When he refused to listen to her I had to step in and then he took things out on me. He threw me into a damn wall," Tony cried out as he pulled his shirt off. "Why don't you look at what he did to me?" he cried out as he forced his father to look at the bruises and scrapes that marred the right side of his body. "I never laid a hand on the bastard. I shot my mouth off and landed in the emergency room all because I protected my girlfriend. Then you accuse me of doing something I didn't do." Tony was getting worked up but he had to hold it together to get his point across. "I had half hoped that you would have called the DA or one of the judges you know when you found out what happened to make sure the gorilla that did this to me spends a good deal of time in Rikers. Instead you brushed the truth aside for only a partial story that stuck in your damn head. For once, couldn't you have been on my side – your son – instead of listening to who ever put the fouled up bug in your ear."

Howard was forced to see the extent of the injuries that Tony possessed and he realized he had jumped to conclusions. But he was not willing to concede the point yet. "It still doesn't excuse your behavior from yesterday,"

Tony was exasperated. He just couldn't win. "I've said my piece. When you're willing to hear it, come and find me. I'm going to bed," Tony said before he turned to leave his father's office. Angry tears stung at his eyes and he wanted to at least be in the sanctity of his bedroom before he let them fall.

Once Tony was in his room, where Ginnie had been waiting for him, he slammed the door behind him and painfully slid to the floor along the wall as he succumbed to the emotions that were over taking him, crumbling into Ginnie's arms as the pain of what his father had done went straight through his heart.

* * *

Maria had heard the argument between Tony and Howard from the living room which was followed by the slamming of Tony's bedroom door. To stand between two lions is never a good place to be. She had to make a choice of which one to deal with first – the husband or the son.

Unlike her husband, Maria had watched the entire infamous news story that started all of this and she knew Tony had been telling the truth all along and given the argument she had just heard, Tony was probably going to be the easier one to deal with before she had to take on Howard.

Maria headed upstairs first and knocked on Tony's bedroom door. "Tony? Can I speak with you for a moment?"

Ginnie opened the door when she heard Maria's voice. "He's in the bathroom," she told his mother, obviously trying to shield Tony from anymore pain on this night.

"Did Tony stay with you last night?" Maria asked with concern as she picked up the shirt Tony had been wearing with the dried blood on it. She cringed when she thought about what had happened to her son.

"Yes, he did. He was in no shape to drive home after what happened," Ginnie replied. "I drove his car back here."

"Thank you for taking care of him," Maria told her with a hint of sadness in her voice. "I'm happy that he has you to love him."

"He took care of me first. He got that man at the bar away from me, even if he did pay for it," Ginnie replied.

"That's what I wish to discuss with him," Maria stated cautiously.

"Are you going to tell me to get in line with what Dad said?" Tony asked as he opened the door and leaned against the door frame.

Maria shook her head. "No Tony. I'm on your side."

Tony was a bit taken back. "You always back him up. What's different about this time?"

"Because this time, your father is wrong and I know he won't admit it. I know everything you said was the truth."

Tony's breath hitched as he heard his mother say this. He sat down on his bed in misery once more. "But why can't he be on my side for once? What do I have to do to make him happy?" he cried out. "I did nothing wrong and yet still he chooses to beat me down because he doesn't want to admit he was wrong."

Maria's heart broke when Tony looked at her with tears in his eyes. Howard had really hit a nerve this time. "I will deal with your father. Right now, you rest," she told her son as she kissed his forehead before she turned to Ginnie. "I'm sure your girlfriend is quite capable of taking care of things. Now, if you'll excuse me."

The next part was going to be harder and required nerves of steel…talking to Howard.

Maria knocked on her husband's office door. "Howard, we need to talk."

"A man can always get nervous when his wife says that," Howard responded without turning away from what he was working on.

"It's about what happened with Tony," Maria started, trying to gauge her husband's reactions.

"I thought this was settled already," Howard replied coolly.

"No, it's not Howard," Maria corrected. "You know full well every word Tony said was true. You never heard the whole story and you just flew off the handle without all the information. Tell me, when has Tony ever lied to you?"

Howard turned around finally to gaze into the anger in his wife's normally gentle eyes. "Never…"

"Then what on earth would make you think he would start now. All he wanted was for you to back him up. You should be praising him for sticking up for his girlfriend instead of chastising him for a situation that was out of his control. Do you even care about how much physical and emotional pain he's in right now?"  
"How do you know everything he said was true?" Howard asked.

"Because I trust our son," Maria countered. "Also, because I called the DA and read the police report and all the witness statements…that's something you should have done before you went all ready-fire-aim."

"I did not go half cocked into this…" Howard tried to interject before he was shushed by Maria.

"I don't want to hear anymore," Maria stopped him. "Now, you listen to me Howard Stark. I am not losing our son to your pigheadedness. You are going to own up to your mistake and genuinely apologize to Tony and until you make things right with him, you can check out one of the guest rooms as your new place to sleep."

Howard was stunned that Maria would ever say something like to him but he knew she was right. "Are you suggesting I do this now?"

"Timing is everything, Howard. Right now, Tony needs time to himself to calm down and Ginnie is taking care of that. Honestly, I don't think he wants to see you right now."

* * *

Tony had legitimately tried to go to sleep shortly after his mother left but he did nothing but toss and turn for hours and ended up just aggravating himself. He needed to do something to clear his head.

"Where are you going?" Ginnie asked sleepily as she felt Tony move from his bed.

Tony kissed her gently before covering her back up. "I am not going to the garage but I need to clear my head a bit or I'm never getting to sleep."

"Be careful please," Ginnie reminded him before settling back into the pillows.

Tony remembered when he was in his father's office that his father's computer was in about 200 pieces – a perfect thing to clear his head on…rebuilding the computer. He turned on the light on the desk, got out a few screwdrivers and pliers and set to work.

Having isolated himself in the garage to hide from any further wrath from his wife, Howard emerged a little after two in the morning, deciding where he should sleep for the night when he caught his office light on. He was absolutely certain that he had turned it off so he went to investigate.

From the door, he watched silently as Tony effortlessly reassembled the computer which he had taken apart to try to fix. "I knew you were going to put that back together once you saw it," Howard stated to his son.

"What takes me a few hours would have taken you weeks," Tony deadpanned without turning around to look at his father. He just kept focused on the task at hand.

"I think 'weeks' is a bit excessive," Howard joked, trying to chip away at the wall Tony had put up around himself.

"Fine, days," Tony sighed. "You would still need me to reconfigure it so I'm saving time here," he said as he put down the screwdriver and turned around. "What now? If you're going to berate me again, I'm leaving because I really can't take being ripped apart any more."

Howard knew he deserved the venom that Tony was shooting at him. "I wanted to apologize."

Tony had to make sure he heard that right. "Come again?"

"I wanted to apologize," Howard restated. "I was wrong to jump to conclusions about what happened without talking to you. I'm sorry that I didn't listen to you when you tried to talk to me before."

Tony's shoulders visibly relaxed as he exhaled deeply. This is what he wanted to hear. "I'm sorry I blew up. I was just so angry that you didn't believe me that I lost it."

"You had every right to, Tony, and I deserved it," Howard said as he placed his hand on Tony's right shoulder, causing his son wince sharply in pain.

"You couldn't have gone on my left side, Dad. That hurts like a son of a bitch."

"Tony, no harm was intended, I swear," Howard quickly apologized. "Why don't I help you out with this so you're not up all night?"

Tony handed one of the screwdrivers to his father. "Well, even if I was, I could always plead my case to my boss for a day off," Tony said slyly, seeing if his father would pick up on it.

"Nice try, Tony, but I know you have a very cushy couch in your office that you crash on after the twenty hour days."

"Can't blame me for trying."


End file.
